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astronomy

This Wednesday, November 20 beginning at 8:00 pm, tune into WETA TV26 and WETA HD for three new science programs that are out of this world!

NOVA: At the Edge of Space at 8:00 pmHigh above Earth where our atmosphere meets space bursts of energy called sprites elude the human eye. Images of these bursts are nearly impossible to capture because sprites exist for barely a split-second. In the new epsiode At the Edge of Space, NOVA and NASA team up in an effort to explore the Earth-space boundary and capture these elusive phenomena on camera. Discover what mysterious objects lurk in the abyss through eye-catching footage shot from the International Space Station and never-before-seen 3D images.NOVA: Asteroid: Doomsday or Payday? at 9:00 pmSized from the width of a football field, to the size of a small city, asteroids are killer rocks on a collision course with Earth. There are millions of these space rocks in the solar system but we have only just begun to understand their resource potential. A large asteroid could end life on Earth but entrepreneurs see asteroids and think payday, not doomsday. Asteroids can be loaded with billions of dollars’ worth of elements like iron, nickel, and platinum. Will these space rocks turn out to be our economic saviors, or cause our extinction? NOVA explores these questions and more in Asteroid: Doomsday or Payday? Watch a preview!

Comet Encounter at 10:00 pmComets have fascinated and terrified humans for thousands of years. As we speak, a comet the size of Manhattan is hurtling towards the sun. In Comet Encounter, scientists around the world follow this once-in-a-lifetime event, tracing the comet’s trajectory from just beyond Jupiter all the way to the sun. These scientists predict that as the comet races past Earth, it will light up the night skies brighter than a full moon, giving us the space show of the century! Through imagery that is out of this world, Comet Encounter brings you a show you can’t see at the Planetarium. Watch a preview!

Enjoy the excitement of a film festival right here in DC, MD, and VA while wearing your PJs with the WETA Fall Movie Festival on WETA TV26 and WETA HD. Tune in every Saturday for the finest films from all genres and generations for free and without commercials. Grab a blanket and some popcorn and prepare to cry, laugh, and think with the WETA Fall Movie Festival.

Memory

If we look back far enough on our lives, either a smile or a tear may appear on our faces. Ore hearts may skip a beat or we may release a long and drawn-out sigh. The wonders of memory and our ability to playback eventful moments in our minds can be considered a gift or a curse. Perhaps we experienced things in our lives that we’d rather forget. And if for a second a thought of the dark past crosses our minds, we become angry with ourselves for allowing such memories to resurface. But maybe memory also holds the missing pieces of life’s puzzle that we so desperately try to solve. In a world where unexplainable events take place, within this thing called life where so many of our curiosities are unanswered, memory just might be what we need for new discoveries to be revealed. Tomorrow night, join us for thought provoking films that explore memory and its abilities to bring unsolved mysteries to light.

Remember a Brother

When selfish and conceited LA car dealer Charlie Babbitt learns of his father’s sudden death, he’s surprised to find that he is left with hardly any money from the estate. Much to Charlie’s confusion, his father left behind a handsome sum of money to a mental institution. Charlie is soon shocked to realize that he has an older brother named Raymond who resides there as an autistic patient. Although being completely unaware that he even had a brother, Charlie wastes no time to use Raymond as a pawn to try and claim a piece of his father’s estate. But spending time with his long lost brother allows Charlie to see a different side of him under his autistic symptoms. Vague moments of their early history together become clear when Charlie recalls false childhood memories of having an imaginary friend named “Rain Man.” He finally realizes that a Rain Man really did exist. It was his brother, Raymond whose name he had difficulty pronouncing as a child. Will Charlie squander his brother’s inheritance or overcome his jealousy and greed? Saturday night at 9:30 on WETA HD and WETA TV26 tune in for the Oscar-winning drama, Rain Man starring Hollywood favorites, Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman.

Remember Suffering

One of the most captivating locations on Earth rests within the Chilean Atacama Desert. Although the desert hills and cliffs rising 10,000 feet above sea level stand isolated from the valleys below, in the skies above hover some of the most breathtaking cosmos that scientists and natives alike have ever seen. The desert stands away from civilization where city lights and activity would distort the bright and colorful activity of the night sky. Scientists from all over the world come to the Atacama Desert for a rare and incomparable look at the stars and galaxies that seem just a grasp away. It is truly a beautiful place full of wonder and mystery. For Chilean locals however, the Atacama Desert holds a dark past. The red sands of the desert remain as a harsh resting ground for hundreds of political prisoners who were mercilessly murdered and burned during the Pinochet dictatorship. Family members of the “disappeared” souls search for their remains almost daily, but the terrain can be so unforgiving that many are left only to wonder. Saturday at 11:30pm, WETA HD and WETA TV26 present the POV: Nostalgia for the Light. How could a land with a beautiful massive sky above experience so much pain and death below? Join us for a film that displays an entire community’s search for answers, some scientific, and others emotional.